Due to the current shortage of available supply pastors, worship on the Sundays of August 7th and 14th will be led by our St. Jacob’s Church Elders. They will lead us in liturgy and distribution of Holy Communion. On August 7th, David will be preaching a sermon written by Pastor David prior to his leaving for the Congo. On Sunday, August 14th Sherrie will be doing the same. We are blessed by the service of our Elders while our pastor is away.
From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila
Posted July 28, 2022 By adminThe time is upon me when I am preparing for my mission trip to the Congo with my friend and mission partner Pastor Stéphane Kalonji. There are so many things racing through my mind at the moment that it is difficult just to simply sleep at night. This being my fourth trip to the Congo, I have a good idea what to expect in my travels. It’s the not knowing what to expect when I get there that seems to be the issue, for we will be traveling to a part of the Congo where I have never been before.
Our first several days in the Congo will be spent in the capitol city of Kinshasa where I will have a phone, electricity, and plenty of hot running water. There will be plenty of good food, prepared by Pastor Kalonji’s sister-in-law, Yevette. But then we will be going off to the province of Kasai-Oriental. He tells me that life in Kasai (in the central part of the country) is much different than what I have experienced in Boma or Matadi (in the western part). We will fly from Kinshasa to the city of Mbuji-Mayi and remain there for about three days, then travel to the village of Badibaswa where we will serve a small mission congregation. I’m told that in Kasai, water is not something that is plentiful. As a part of the daily amenities, the hotel we will stay in for about 9 days provides each guest with one free bucket of water. Bucket? Yep, no running water to be had. Once on the ground in Kasai, the first order of business will be to purchase plenty of bottled purified water.
Another difference will be that the churches we will visit and work in have no buildings or shelters. Everything they do is outside exposed to the weather. If it rains during worship, they get wet. If the sun beats down in the heat of the day, they sweat. Truly, there is nothing like a mission trip to the Congo to make one appreciate all that God blesses us with here at home. There is one thing; however, that I do know what to expect in Kasai. The people will be overjoyed that we have come to visit them, bringing them the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In Mbuji-Mayi, Pastor Kalonji and I will be leading three separate seminars. There will be a gathering for the women of the church, then the pastors and lay leaders, and finally, we will have a day with the youth and young adults. Our focus for teaching will be a seminar we have written together concerning the Holiness of God and Living as God’s Holy People. As usual, there will be time for the people to ask plenty of questions regarding faith and life in the Church in America. In Badibaswa, I would anticipate much of the same, although I expect there will be many more questions about life as a Christian and Pastor in the United States. The women will want to know about my wife and children, our home and what a typical day is like.
The people of the Congo are always amazed to find out that Christians in America face many of the same difficulties as they do in Africa. Truly, sin and evil know no boundaries. Thankfully, God’s mercy and grace transcend all boundaries and obstacles the devil attempts to place between God and his people.
While I am away, I would ask that you keep Pastor Kalonij and I in your prayers. Pray that God would use us in mighty ways and that our proclamation of his Word will be bold and well received. Finally, pray for all to whom we will minister, for it is through your generosity that we are able to make this trip. God has blessed us in this mission, and through your prayerful support, hungry children will be fed and mothers and their babies will be welcomed home from detention in hospitals. Pastors and other church leaders will have Bibles to read, learn, and teach from. Those with impaired vision will have eyeglasses to help them see, and children will have beautiful multi-colored bracelets to wear as a reminder of the love we all share in Christ Jesus.
I will be departing from Columbia on Monday, August 1st and returning on Friday, August 20th. As always, I will do my best to keep everyone updated while I am away. I hope to be able to send Angela daily text messages with news of our activities that she can pass along to the church. But again, I don’t know if that will be a possibility when I am in Kasai. Thanks be to God for all who have supported our mission to the Congo. I look forward to sharing stories of St. Jacob’s with the people there and I’m sure I will have plenty of stories to share with you upon my return. Until then, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Pastor David Nuottila
Wednesday Services
Posted July 28, 2022 By adminWhile Pastor David is in the Congo, we will not be having a Wednesday Evening Service on August 3rd, 10th, or 17th. We will start back on August 24th. Please mark your calendars.
Director of Youth And Family Ministries
Posted July 12, 2022 By adminYou make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
We praise God for how He has worked in our hearts for the past weeks during our Family & Youth gatherings. These past weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to dive into the different passages that make up our vision.
For families at St. Jacob’s to dive headfirst into the surpassing knowledge of the love of Christ for sinners and sufferers. And to become lights to their families and the world around them. (Matthew 11:28-30, Ephesians 3:17-19, John 6:35-40, Matthew 5:13-16)
It has been an excellent opportunity to spend Tuesday nights with the families at St. Jacob’s as we wrestled with the different promises and commands that our Heavenly Father has given us. And to see more clearly whom He says He is and how He views us. I pray that as this ministry continues, many more families will join us as we continue down this path of knowing Him and making Him known.
Starting on the 5th of July, we will be diving into a new series on “Heroes in the Bible,” not necessarily heroes for what they have done, but for how they embraced God’s plan for their lives and how God uses them for His glory. I hope to see you there as we learn more about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit through different unique people that He lifted through scripture and what their lives can teach us.
Church family, would you continue to pray for the inward workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we seek to dive headfirst into the surpassing love of Christ for sinners and sufferers?
Matthew
matt@st-jacobs.org
Up and Going
Posted July 9, 2022 By adminThe June Up and Going Meeting was held in the Fellowship Hall on June 9 at 11 AM with 21 members and guests attending. Announcements were given and business was conducted. A Father’s Day devotion with all praying together The Lord’s Prayer was given by Helen. Matt, St.Jacob’s Director of Youth and Family Ministries gave the program, Matt shared with us his life history and his Faith Journey. St. Jacob’s has been chosen and blessed to be a part of Matt’s continuing Faith Journey. Up and Going appreciates Matt sharing his life experiences and Faith Journey with us. We hope that Matt will continue to be a part of Up and Going activities.
A delicious covered dish meal with desserts was enjoyed by all.
The next Up and Going meeting is scheduled for Thursday July14 at 11 AM in the Fellowship Hall. Everyone is asked to bring their favorite picnic items for lunch together. Pastor David will present the program.
Hope to see you then. Hope to see you then.
Choir Notes
Posted July 7, 2022 By adminThank you to everyone who has helped in the music ministry during this year of rebuilding. It is exciting to once again have choirs, a little bit of bell music, and even the occasional guitar, trumpet and saxophone.
Thank you also to the parents who have brought their children to Sunday rehearsals and to our choir members who commit to Wednesday rehearsals and being at church each week to help lead worship.
The choirs are enjoying a well deserved break from rehearsals over the summer but the work still goes on. I will be attending the week long Chorister’s Guild Institute in July, remotely due to the pandemic, to build my skills in choral directing. Also, this summer break allows me time to plan the music programs for the upcoming year. I hope you will choose to join us in the fall when rehearsals resume.
Filed in Other Happenings, Worship and Music
From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila
Posted July 4, 2022 By admin15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Luke 18:15-17
Over the years, one of the greatest joys I have found in being a pastor is watching the children of the church grow in their faith. It is a tremendous blessing for congregations to have children among them as part of our life together. As I write this monthly message, we are getting ready to begin Vacation Bible School. It will be a week filled with children’s learning, laughter, singing, and energy. VBS is always a highlight for the summer months. It is a time when adults can reflect on days gone by when we were the children experiencing much of the same things as the kids today. That’s how life in the church goes.
Jesus was quite clear in his rebuke of those who tried to keep children from coming to him. His words carry a weight and authority like those of no one else. “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Imagine the sight, a kingdom filled with the laughter and wide eyes of children as they flock to the one who embodies the love of God, promising to keep them near to him forever. If we only watch and pay attention, we can see this reality unfold right before our eyes.
The truth be told, children love to be among their church family. When the children of the church are present, they find themselves in the midst of a community that shares equal joy and wonder in the presence of Christ the Lord. Maybe that’s because, as we welcome the children into our midst and
shower them with love and attention, God takes delight and showers us with the blessing of the children’s love, energy, and excitement.
If you have ever been a part of a congregation without children, you will know just how quiet life in the church can be. As children of God, we are to be ever thankful for all of God’s blessings. We are to be filled with the joy of knowing that, just as Christ welcomed the children and blessed them, our heavenly Father also welcomes and blesses us. Sadly, we adults sometime forget this as we find ourselves burdened with the weight of our fallen broken world upon our shoulders. Finding joy in presence of children helps us put such hindrances in their proper place.
We can learn so many lessons from the children of the church, all we need to do is watch them and let them be children. First, we can learn what it truly means to have a child-like faith. To believe and fully trust God in all situations. When circumstances in life cause us fear or anxiety, we can curl up in the lap of our Father, seeking his peace and comfort just as a child seeks the same from a loving parent or grandparent. When we feel that we are lacking something or find that we have a particular need, we can ask God with assurance of a small child when he or she receives that which would bring fulfillment.
As I said at the onset, it brings me great joy to see the children each week in worship. Each one brings tremendous gifts to our church family just by their presence among us. Watching the many children that I had the privilege to baptize grow, and take their place in the community always brings to mind God’s blessings and promises that we find in his peace, power, and presence.
Parents, please continue to bring your children to church. Grandparents, bring your grandchildren. Share their lives with those whom God has called and gathered here at St. Jacob’s. Let them all come to Christ, do not hinder them. They serve as living, breathing reminders to all of us of the joy we experience in the presence of Christ our Lord. They also help us continue in a child-like faith as we await the great and glorious day when our Lord comes to take us to where he is, the place he has prepared for all the children of God.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion for July
Posted July 1, 2022 By adminPray; God Will Hear
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28
It seems these days there are so many people calling for prayer. After all, there is so much for which to pray. All around the world we hear of people struggling with poverty, hunger, and disease. Even as I write this, I received a prayer request. With so many prayers, how can we be sure God hears them?
The scriptures are filled with passages declaring God’s hearing and answering the prayers of his people. In the book of Jeremiah we read, “You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” Jeremiah 29:12 In Mark’s Gospel Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24
These are but two of many passages in the Bible that point us to the power of prayer and the assurance that God hears them. We know our God is one who keeps his promises, especially the promise to save people from their sin. With that, the apostle Paul encourages God’s people to pray. Pray without ceasing. Pray for your neighbor. Pray for your loved ones as well as your enemies. Give thanks in all circumstances. God is faithful. He will surely answer your prayer.
Prayer: O Lord, listen as I cry to you. Hear my prayer. Amen.
Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted June 29, 2022 By adminMid-Week Bible Study continues in the Fellowship Hall each Wednesday morning at 10 AM. We are reading the book of Acts and learning more about the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ and the men whom Christ chose to establish it. No previous study is required, and the lessons are presented in such a way that it really doesn’t matter if you are joining in at the middle of our study or if you have attended each week. We have a very lively discussion and look forward to more church family members joining.
Lutheran Men
Posted June 29, 2022 By adminWe will have our monthly meeting on Sunday, July 17th at 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Hope to see you all there.
